A ride on Downtown’s new SkyView Ferris wheel

After weeks of thunderstorms and rain delays, SkyView Atlanta finally opened today in the sweltering, sticky July heat. Luckily, the air-conditioning in the gondolas works pretty well.

The futuristic-looking gondolas are made of tinted fiberglass—the walls are see-through but the floors, thankfully, are not. Four people fit comfortably into each capsule, although the guidelines say up to eight may ride together.

Light piano jazz played in the boarding area as people entered their gondolas, and professional photographers snapped pictures of guests pre-rotation. Once atop the giant wheel, I could see all the different colors of the bricks that weave through Centennial Park, the rooftops of the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coke, the Georgia Dome, and how Atlantans severely suffer from road rage.

Overall the ride lasted about twenty minutes, with the wheel making five rotations; and because SkyView is two hundred feet tall, guests can see for miles in every direction. With its prime location, this attraction seems set to become a destination for families and the tourist lot this summer.

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